Golf tee



kParmi ay is, leas are :ff:

EIURITZ C. RNSEEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GoLr TEE.

Application mea march 5, 1927. serial no. 173,062.

This invention relates to improvements in golf tees, of the spike variety, usually made of wood, having a pointed shank or Spike that Vis pushed into the ground, the' upper end of which is of larger diameter to pro-v sinned in looking for the tee after having been struck by the club head with the result that a golfer often loses the location of his ball after having his mind distracted even momentarily.

The object, therefore, of this invention is toprovide a golf tee having a collar, orA

sleeve, preferablyof iieXible, resilient rubber, demonntably attached thereto, and means preferably, such as a iiexible cord and a wei ht, attached to the collar for restraining t e tee when struck by a golf club.

AThis collarstrengthensthe shank ofthe tee* v where it is most apt to'breako, that is, at the juncture of the head and the shank,

2? and also provides a buler for the head or seat of the ball, thus preventing'lthe same from breaking or chipping away.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a collar adapted to be mounted on the shank of such a tee and having an upwardly extendinglip, projecting `above the head'of the tee and co-operating with the heald to form amore substantial seat for the bal v A further object 4is to provide a tee having a. larger and more substantial ball seat than the present tees now on the market without the necessity of using larger stock for turning out the-same which would neces-4 40 sarily mean more wastage and more expensive tee. 'A further object is to provide a'tee with a flexible collar frictionally attached to the shank thereof to which restraining means 45 may be attached to limit the travel of the tee when struck by a golf club.

The particular object of the invention,

therefore, is to provide a flexible collar or head adapted to be demountably attached to a golf tee, and which may be readily'detached from the samewhen the tee breaks or otherwise, and quickly attached to another tee or support.

'Other ob'ects of the invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings andwill be pointed out in the annexed claims.

ln the drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shownl as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

. Figure `1- illustrates a common form of golf -tee having acollar with a flexible cord and a weight attachedtheret'o.

Vligure 2 is a plan view of the collar; and lweight removed from the tee.

Figure 3 illustrates a collar having an upwardly extendinglip co-operating with the head 'of the tee to form amore substantial seat for the ball. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are modified constructions.

Figures 7v and 8 are urther modifications showing Atheicollar having no engagement with the shank ofthe tee, and

' Figuref) `is a yet further modication.

As'shown in the draw-ings 8v represents the shank of a common form of golf tee having a head 9 with a concave recess 11 providing a seat for a golf ball 12. This tee is usuallymade of wood because of lightness, ease and economy of manufacture, but is also, therefore, easily broken when the club head strikes the tee, either snapping ofi' the shank or chipping away the head of the tee, thus rendering-it useless.

' To minimize the breaking of the tee I provide a sleeve or-collar 15-as shown in Figures 1 and 2, preferably of flexible, resilient rubber. This 'collar'may be moulded with an aperture 16 of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of the shank of the tee and with a concave recess provided, coinciding substantially with the bevel of the head of the tee. The shank of the tee is inserted in the aperture 16 and the collar 15 i slid up the shank until the concave recess of the collar is coincident with the bevel of the head. The collar 15 is thus held in -frictional engagement with-the shank Spot the l the tee reventing the club head from Istriking the iiead and breaking or chipping away the same.v

To restrain the tee when struck by the golf club I may provide the collar 15 with a vflexible. cord 18 with a suitable weight 19, which may be of any desired shape, attached thereto as shown in Figures 1 and 2. If desired the flange 17 of the collar may be omitted and a straight sleeve thus provided to which the flexible restraining means may be attached.

As shown in Figure 8, I have provided .the collar'15 with an upwardly extending flange or lip 21, projecting above the head 9 of the tee and-co-operating with the head to form a more substantial seat for thel golf ball. This obviates thc necessity of using 4larger stock for turning out tees having larger ball seats `which would necessarily mean more wastage and therefore more expensive tees.

In Figure 4I have shown a similarcollar provided upon a shank having a head 9' minus the concave 'seat for the ball. The ball is supported on the fiat surface ofthe head 9 and held in place by the upstanding flange v21 of the collar` 15.. By eliminating the concave seat for the ball a slightly cheaper support may thus be provided.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate modified constructions wherein the collar'not only functions to protect the support from lbreaking -but is' also utilized' as the head of the tee asf or supporting the ball. 'In Figure 5 the shank 8 is shown provided with a projecting flange or abutment 22 upon which the collar 15 is seated thus preventingthe collar from slipping down the shank of the tee when supporting the ball. The flexibility of the collar will allow it to slip over the abutment 22 when being attached to the support. In Figure 6 acollar 15 having an upwardly projecting lip 25 is vprovided with an inwardly extending flange 26, thus forming a nonbreakablehead having a ball seat 27.

The inwardly extending flange 26 rests uponv t-he head 9 of the shank Sthus preventing the collar from sliding down the shank and the head 9 will prevent the same from moving up. The flexibility of the flange 26 will allow the head 9 to slip into the recess under the flange 26 and thus lock the collar against accidental displacement.

Due to the tubular formation of the collar it is to be noted that thek whole head of the tee or support is not enclosed by the'collar but is embraced only partly thereby. In

` Figures 6 and 7 the' collar is shown embracing the beveled under surface of the head 9 and part of the substantially fiat upper surface of the head. The tubular formation and the flexibility of the collar allows it to be slipped on or off lthe support as desired.

The collar shown in Figure 7 is similar to that shown in Figure 6 with the-exception th at no shank embracing portion is provided.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate supports provided with collars wherein only the head 9 is provided with a buffer. I have found that in the majority of cases the head of a wooden tee of this type is niore'liable to chip away than the shank ofthe tec is to snap ofi". Figure 8 shows a collar 31 mounted on the head of the tee 'with no frictional support on the shank of the tee'. restraining the tee when struck by a golf club niay be attached directly to the tee thus taking thc strain off the collar.

In Figura 9 I haveshown anothertype of golf ice 32 providedwith a sleeve-like collar 33. This collar may be moulded inthe shape as"illustratcd or may be cut `form flexible tubing of the desired size and slipped onto .the tce asshown.- .Rest-raining means may also be attached to this collar if desired.

Means for` e A s before stated the device of the invenl tion is preferably formed of flexible, resil- -ient material, such as'rubber, Vbut it is possiv ble that other non-flexible material be used in some instances, especially when thel device is mounted on a straight shank tee.

The aperture in the collar, thru which the A shank of the tee is to be inserted, may be of such a size as to allow the collar to be forcibly moved into position on the support. Variations in the diameter of the Shanks of the tees, however, makes a device of such material unsatisfactory. If desired the device of the invention may be provided-with a.

metal shank or support thus providing a strong, the necessity of carrying around a supply of wooden supports for cases of breakage.

The collar may be `used with various othei1 types oftees or supports and I therefore do nonbreakable tee, thereby obviating not limit the device to the specific types shown and the collar itself may' have vari-v 2. A golf tee comprising a spike having a head, and a protecting and reinforcing ele-1 ment of cushion material embracing the head and a portion of the spike immediately below the head, saidv element beingextended above the head as a guard to cooperate with the head to support the ball, and said element having an inwardly extending flange cooperating with a portion of the head to removably secure the element.

3. A golf tee comprising a spike having a head and protecting and reinforcing element of cushioned material embracing the head, and spike immediately below the head, said element extended above'the head and form ing a cup to support a ball.

4. A golf tee comprising a spike having a headv and a protecting and reinforcing ele- .ment of cushioned material embracing the head, and a portion of the spike immediately below the head, said element being extended i above the head and configurated to `form a cup for supporting a ball, said head and element having means interlockingly cooperable to secure the reinforcing element in protecting position;

5. A- golf tee comprising a spike having a' head and a tubular protecting and reinforcing element of cushioned material embracing thehead extending above the head to form a cup for supporting the ball, and said element having an inwardly extending flange Lemma 1 cooperating with a portionof the head to removably secure the element.

' 6. A golf tee comprisingl an upwardlydivergent conical head and a spike connecting with the apex of the head and being of relatively small diameter. at vthe connecting zone, and a conical tubular protecting and reinforcing element embracing the head and flaring upwardly and extending above the head to form a cup.

7. A golf tee comprising an` upwardly divergent conical head and a' spike connecting wlththe apex of the head and being of relatively small diameter at the connecting -zone, and a conical tubular protecting an reinforcing element embracing the head and 'Haring upwardly and extendin above the head to form a cup, said cup orxnng element having a comparativelythin wall.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set m'yhand this 2nd day of March, 1927.

MAURITZ C. RANSEEN. 

